Expansion and triple valve for compressed-air brakes.



No. 792,558. PATENTES JUNE Is, 1905. W. E. SMITH. EXPANSION AND TRIPLEVALVE EOE GOMEEESSEE AIE BRAKES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1903.

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i Patented June 13, 1905.

VILLIAM ROSE SMlTH, OF VEST NORVOOD, LONDON, ENGLAND, AS- SIGNOR TOTHOMAS HENRY PEARSE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

EXPANSION AND TRIPLE VALVE FOR COMPRESSED-AIR BRAKES.

ESPECIFICATIQ'Nv forming part of Letters Patent'No. 792,558, dated June13, 1905.

Application filed August 24, 1903. Serial No. 170,509.

To all whom, it ntf/,y concern:

Be it known that IVILLIAM RosE SMITH, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at lVest Norwood, in the county of London, England,have invented an vImproved Expansion and Triple Valve for Compressed-AirBrakes, of which the following description, in

' connection with the accompanying drawing,

is a specification, like numerals on the drawing representing likeparts.

My invention relates to triple valves for air-brakes, and taken inconnection with the apparatus shown in my copending application, SerialNo. 170,510, iiled concurrentlyT herewith, constitutes means forenabling the driver or engineer to stop a long train smoothly and easilyand grade the pressure of the brake with the utmost nicety.

One of the leading' features of my invention consists in having thethree valves all operated on and by the same valve stem or spindle, theauxiliary reservoir and inlet-valve, outlet-valve, and brake-cylinderand valve all being arranged in proper alinement to permit of thisconstruction. I employ a construction of sliding valves which permitsthem to operate dissimultaneously as required, although all actuated bythe same spindle.

Various other features of my invention and the operation thereof will bepointed out in the course of the following description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, in which 1 have illustrated oneembodiment of the invention, and the latter will be further detined inthe appended claims.

In the drawing my improved apparatus is shown in central longitudinalsection, parts being broken away for convenience.

l have not deemed it necessary to show or indicate the entire system,but have confined the drawing and description to those features whichare herein claimed, and I wish it understood that while I have shown anddescribed the same in all constructional details many changes may beresorted to and substitutions made without departingfrom the spirit andscope of my invention. l

The improved triple valve, in combination with the auxiliary reservoirand brake-cylinder, consists of three balanced double-beat valves on onespindle actuated longitudinally to open and close the valves, asrequired, by the variations of pressure of the compressed air on eachside of a diaphragm of corrugated steel or leather or other iexiblematerial.

The first doublefbeat valve 13 on the spindle 14 is situated in thejunction of the main pipe 15, suitably enlarged to contain thevalveseats 16 17, and is used for charging the auxiliary reservoir 18with compressed air at the same pressure as that contained in the mainpipe. This valve is a hollow cylinder or pipe 13, leading from the mainpipe into the chamber 19, formed by the conical cover or end 20 of theauxiliary reservoir and the diaphragm 21. A pipe 22 leads from thevalve-casing between the two valve-seats 13 to the auxiliary reservoir18, and a spiral compression-spring 23 supports the valve 13 on thespindle 14 against a nut, forming a stop on top of the valve, the lowerend of the spring abutting on the upper spider-guide 25 of thevalve-spindle to keep the valve 13 closed while the diaphragm 21 is inany position from horizontal upward, allowing nearly free movement ofthe diaphragm and Valve-spindle upward for working the other two valves.

The second double-beat valve 26 is situated within the auxiliaryreservoir 18, the casing 27 being supported on a pair of pipes 28,leading from between the two valve-seats to the third valve-chamber 29,formed in the end of the brake-cylinder 30. This valve 26 when opened bythe movement of the diaphragm 21 upward above the horizontal on thelowering of the air-pressure in the main pipe 15 admits the compressedair from the auxiliary reservoir 18 into the brakescylinder 30, therebyapplying the brakes to the Wheels of the carriage. The valve 26 slideson the spindle 14 and is lifted or opened by a stop 31 on thevalve-spindle 14 and closed on the return of the spindle by acompression-spring 32 abutting on a second spider-guide 33 within theauxiliary reservoir. The valve-spindle passes through the end 34 of theauxiliary reservoir and the end'35 of the brakecylinder, between whichends a small space 36 is left, communicating by holes in the cyl inderwith the atmosphere to take away any leakage of compressed air past thevalve-spin dle without raising the pressure accidentally in thebrake-cylinder.

The third double-beat valve 37 is situated within a chamber 29 in theend of the brakecylinder 30, the casing 37, supported by a pair of pipes39, leading from between the two valve-seats 38 straight through thewalls of the cylinder to the atmosphere. This valve 37 when opened bythe movement of the diaphragm 21 downward below the horizontal on theincrease of the air-pressure in the main pipe exhausts the compressedair from the brake-cylinder 30 to the atmosphere, thereby releasing thebrakes by the powerful spring 40 within the cylinder driving back thebrakepiston. The valve 37 slides on the spindle 14 and is opened by astop 4l on the valve-spindle 14 and held open by a pair of springcatches42 on the lower site of the valve-seat until the valve-spindle travelsupward again, when a stop 43 on the spindle on the lower side of thevalve 37 closes the valve 37 just before the stop 3l for opening thesecond valve 26 reaches the second valve, and the same pair ofspring-catches 42 keep the valve closed. The direct communication withthe atmosphere from the brake-cylinder makes the release of the brakesabsolutely unfailing and instantaneous.

The extent of time during which the second or supply valve to thebrake-cylinder is opened, and thereby the rapidity and force with whichthe brakes are applied, depends upon the difference of pressure on thetwo sides of the diaphragm. For quick and powerful action, as requiredon emergencies, the pressure in Ythe main pipe is suddenly loweredconsiderably by the equalizing drivers brake-valve handle being thrownsuddenly over to the position marked Emergency, opening the main pipe todirect communication with the atmosphere and letting the full pressureof the compressed air in the auxiliary reservoir into theln'ake-cylinder. The slig'ht lowering' of the air-pressure in the mainpipe caused by the drivers valve in the position for ordinaryapplications applies the brakes with moderate force, the pressure beingalmost immediately balanced on both sides of the diaphragm and the valveclosed, and the force of application is thus graduated by the durationof movement of the diaphragm so controlled by the drivers brake-valve.

The combined valves, reservoir, and brakecylinder may be horizontal orvertical.

Vhat I claim isl. In compressed-air brakes an improved quick-actingtriple valve combined with each auxiliary reservoir and brakecylinder,automatically controlled through the medium of the variations ofpressure of air in the main pipe caused by the drivers brake-valve;con-v sisting of three balanced double-beat valves on one spindle,actuated longitudinally to open and close the valves as required forapplying or releasing the brakes, by the variation of pressure of thecompressed air on each side of a diaphragm of corrugated steel, leather,or other flexible material as above described.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pipe, an auxiliaryreservoir, a brakecylinder, an outlet connection therefrom, a valvebetween said main pipe and reservoir, a valve between said reservoir andcylinder, a valve between said cylinder and outlet connection, a singlecommon vmeans for actuating said valves dissimultaneously, and means forthe quick closingofl said last-mentioned valve before the opening of thevalve between the reservoir and cylinder.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pipe, an auxiliaryreservoir, a brakecylinder, an outlet connection therefrom, a valvebetween said main pipe and reservoir, a Valve between said reservoir andcylinder, a valve between said cylinder and outlet connection, and asingle spindle carrying all of said valves, a plurality of the latterbeing' slidingly mounted on said spindle.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, a

main pipe, an auxiliary reservoir, a brake\ cylinder', an outletconnection therefrom, a valve between said main pipe and reservoir, avalve between said reservoir and cylinder, a valve between said cylinderand outlet connection, a single spindle carrying all of said valves, thefirst-mentioned valves being positively moved thereby in oppositedirections, and yielding means for moving said valves in a reversedirection.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pipe, an auxiliaryreservoir, a brakecylinder, an outlet connection therefrom, a valvebetween said main pipe and reservoir, a valve between said reservoir andcylinder, a valve between said cylinder and outlet connection, a singlespindle for operating' all of said valves, and means independent of saidspindle for positively locking the last-mentioned valve.

6. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pipe,auxiliaryreservoir, brake-cylinder, outlet connection from the latter, and valvestherefor, means for operating the valve for said outlet connection, andseparate locking means for positively moving and retaining said valve inclosed position.

7. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pi pe, auxiliaryreservoir, brake-cylinder, outlet connection from the latter, and valvestherefor, means for operating the valve for said outlet connection,saidlast-mentioned Valve having a beveled edge, and yielding means forengaging said edge and crowding the Valve into tightly-held closedposition.

8. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pipe, auxiliaryreservoir, brake-cylinder,

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outlet connection from the latter, and valves therefor, means foroperating the valve for said outlet connection, and separate yieldingmeans for holdingI said valve in its extreme positions open and closed.

9. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pipe, an auxiliaryreservoir, a brake-cylinder, an outlet connection from the latter,valves therefor, all of said valves being slidingly mounted on a-singlespindle, means carried by said spindle for positively operating in onedirection the valves from the main pipe and from the auxiliaryreservoir, and means carried by said spindle for positively operating inboth directions the valve from said brake-cylinder to said outletconnection.

IO. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pipe, an auxiliaryreservoir of large capacity, a valve between the two, a brake-cylinder,a valve between said reservoir and cylinder, anoutlet connection to theatmosphere, a valve therefor, and means for dissimultaneously operatingsaid lastmentioned two valves. l

Il. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pipe, an auxiliaryreservoir, a diaphragm in the end of said reservoir, an inlet-pipebetween said main pipe and reservoir independent of said diaphragm, avalve controlling said inlet, a chamber between said diaphragm andvalve, said valve having' a valve-stem fastened to said diaphragm, andsaid valve containing an opening affording free passage of air from saidmain pipe to said chamber.

12. In an apparatus of the kind described, a main pipe, an auxiliaryreservoir, a brake-cylinder, a pipe from said reservoir to saidbrakecylinder, a double-beat valve controlling the passage of airthrough said pipe from said reservoir, a chamber independent of saidpipe opening on the opposite side therefrom of said double-beat valve,and a small outlet in said chamber to the outside atmosphere forpreventing undue pressure in said chamber.

13. In an apparatus of the kind described, an auxiliary reservoir, abrake-cylinder, a valve between the two, an outlet-pipe from saidbrake-cylind er to the outside atmosphere, a valve therefor, and asingle spindle carrying and dissimultaneously operating said two valves.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM ROSE SMITH.

Witnesses.:l

' I. HENRY PEARsE, Gr. G. HARING'roN.

